Chapter 1782 – Trash Talk
“Hmph, is it just luck? The results will tell! Whether it’s a donkey or a horse, just bring it out and let it show, why jump to conclusions from the sidelines? That’s just begging for ridicule,” Feng Zhen suddenly raised his voice to chat with Zhang Ping beside him. Although it sounded directed at Zhang Ping, those who had guilt in their hearts interpreted it differently, feeling Feng Zhen was subtly mocking them with his sarcastic tone.
They all knew how notorious Feng Zhen’s reputation was outside; trying to take him seriously was pure self-torture.
There were more than one or two people harboring such disdainful thoughts, and they mentally trampled on Feng Zhen, cursing the wayward youth while eagerly straining to hear him say something belittling.
Feng Zhen suddenly took a jab, causing Zhang Ping to initially be taken aback, but he quickly recovered, smiling and bowing in apology.
“What Zishi just preached was indeed to Zhang, as I acknowledge my limited perspective.”
Zhang Ping took Feng Zhen’s words, effectively admitting that he was the target of the previous diss, urging others not to take it personally.
If someone did take it personally, it could only mean they had an overactive imagination and were overly sensitive.
Hearing Zhang Ping admit to being “narrow-minded,” the others felt a sting on their faces, embarrassed, infuriated, and indignant.
Feng Zhen and Zhang Ping were humiliating them in tandem; it was utterly outrageous.
Sticking to the principle of never losing face, they somewhat grasped the essence of future trolls, arguing from all angles regardless of the truth.
Thus, Feng Zhen heard someone “chuckle softly,” speaking at a volume low enough to be discreet, yet loud enough for Feng Zhen to hear, “…As everyone knows, most women are weaker than men in terms of physical strength, but it doesn’t rule out the existence of exceptional women like Miss Lan Ting who possess natural strength; such individuals are rare. However, in a population of hundreds of thousands in Xiangyang County, selecting even fifteen or sixteen physically capable women wouldn’t be too difficult.”
The troll had a knack for delivering profound statements, like these two lines.
It complimented Jiang Pengji, asserting that she was a naturally strong female hero, while also claiming that the first group of sixteen ladies was meticulously picked from a sea of candidates, suggesting that them outperforming the men was only natural. The fact that they were assigned to perform “Ming and Luan” in the first group must have been some subtle manipulation by the Golden Scales Academy, aiming to please the female figure, Miss Lan Ting, while hoping for good fortune.
If it weren’t for manipulation, how could fifteen out of sixteen women get perfect scores?
It was definitely planned by the academy, putting the best performers in the first group.
Feng Zhen could understand the academy’s intentions; after all, the academy relied on Miss Lan Ting for its operational expenses. If they couldn’t make their benefactor happy, how would the academy stay afloat? But the academy, being a place for enlightenment and moral cultivation, how could they stoop to such degrading practices?
Tsk tsk, how disgusting to bow to worldly powers!
Trolls had a way of thinking that normal folks simply couldn’t wrap their heads around; they had their own robust logic, and arguing with them was just a waste of time.
Feng Zhen snorted coldly, while Zhang Ping chuckled softly to soothe him, hoping Feng Zhen wouldn’t blow up and make a fool of himself, ruining the examination.
Seeing Feng Zhen fall silent, the troll couldn’t help but wear a smug smile.
However, that didn’t last long because someone stepped in who could troll even better.
Feng Jue, who had been spectating, shifted his gaze from the stage to the troll who had just spoken.
“Small-minded troublemaker.”
Feng Gui reprimanded softly, instructing him not to speak carelessly.
Under normal circumstances, Feng Jue wouldn’t even have the right to be here, but since this rascal was recognized as a scholar and had a history of effectively confronting Jiang Pengji with Huang Song, his status in scholarly circles wasn’t light. He got invited over but found other scholars too noisy and maneuvered to switch seats to accompany his brother. In response to his brother’s reprimand, Feng Jue laughed, “What’s there to fear? Words fall on my own shoulders; even Miss Lan Ting has no reason to silence my little brother. If troublemakers are going to say something, let them say it! What’s the harm?”
Feng Zhen’s eyes twinkled as he teased, “How can a small person be compared to a scholar?”
“A scholar isn’t necessarily a good person, and a good person isn’t necessarily a scholar,” Feng Jue replied, shaking his head. “A person of high renown who doesn’t seek office is called a scholar; those who write and publish are called scholars; those who flaunt their talents and disregard details can also be called scholars. Although they’re all scholars, there are still grades among them. Anyone can become a scholar as long as they frequently drink, indulge in fine wines and rare treasures to mingle with famous figures, talk nonsense, and can recite a couple of hundred texts.”
With such a low threshold, the moral standards of those who joined the scholarly circle were uneven, and you could not guarantee that there wouldn’t be small-minded people lurking around.
Feng Jue’s words were rather blunt, almost pointing fingers at the culprits.
The few scholars were so furious they felt like their hearts were about to explode; after much restraint, they could only hold back instead of challenging Feng Zhen or Feng Jue to a duel.
Seeing those guys grinding their teeth in anger, Feng Zhen felt utterly delighted, pouring himself a drink and raising it towards Feng Jue.
Feng Jue smiled back, raising his own cup in salute as they exchanged knowing smiles before downing the clear wine in one go.
For this, the reactions of brothers Feng Gui and Feng Jin were the most complex.
They always felt that Feng Zhen and Feng Jue were like a pair of turtles looking at green beans, locked in understanding, and they couldn’t help but wonder what kind of trouble they would stir up in the future.
While those guys were trash talking, how could Jiang Pengji not hear it?
Her gaze fell on the training ground, but her ears were perked up to catch the gossip. Initially, the onlookers’ attention was on the students, but after a few performances of “Ming and Luan,” the novelty wore off, and they began to focus elsewhere. They discovered that trouble was brewing somewhere else.
Stowaway Non-Money: Wow, Feng the Wayward is such a man, his words are really bold!
Pineapple Honey Love: Xi Heng the little angel is so cute, just teaming up with Feng the Wayward was too adorable. The streamer is truly something else; the appearance rate of Xi Heng the little angel is too low. As a fan of niche idols, even a single bit of sugar over the years brings me to tears.
Zhang Ping is one of the three major figures of the Woodworking Workshop, dealing mainly with logistics, so his on-screen appearances naturally can’t compare to those who frequently join the front lines. Fans of Zhang Ping, Xu Ke, and others are truly the most pitiful, going years without seeing their idols, having to find sugar on their own.
Listening to a stranger: The world is not straight:з
Meow Meow Meow: What do you mean by the world is not straight? What’s with all the pampering? Wasn’t it just exposed that Xi Heng the little angel got a girlfriend a few days ago?
Although this live broadcast room was filled with a passionate mix of bromance and heroine romance, it was normal to look for gay interactions, but the people next to Jiang Pengji were genuinely straight.
Wayward Feng Zhen was a siscon, the techie Zhang Ping had snatched Bai Yuexia; they looked friendly but were just pure colleagues.
Watching the factions of idle folks get ready to bicker again, Feng Jue stepped in and extinguished the budding flames.
The group of idle folks silently listened, feeling like they were starting to forget the word “scholar.”
